The present invention relates to a reversing distance sensor for automobiles and in particular to a rear view mirror mounted reversing distance sensor.
Heretofore, when a driver is reversing an automobile, he would determine the distance to any obstacles behind the automobile by visual recognition and then make an estimation of the distance between the obstacle and his own car. Needless to say, this method is inaccurate and frequently results in accidents and even injury to people. Often, obstacles behind the automobile are hidden from the driver's view by the rear of the automobile.
With the advance of technology, devices such as radar units and subsequently infrared detection devices have been developed. In fact, similar devices for the detections of distance to obstacles when reversing an automobile are already known in this field. The present invention however seeks to overcome the installation problems and inconvenience associated with locating and assembling the prior art.
In the prior art, the display unit of the distance sensor was located within the interior of the automobile and had to be mounted either on or under the dashboard. This requires the installation of mounting brackets which required drilling of holes and other mechanical skills thus making installation by the individual difficult and frequently requiring professional installation. Also, as automobile interiors vary greatly and with the limited space available in many small automobiles, the positioning of the display unit in a convenient and readily available location to the driver is quite difficult.
As nearly all automobiles are provided with an interior rearview mirror attached to the inside of the windshield or suspended from the roof near the top edge of the windshield, the attachment of the reversing distance sensor to the rearview mirror would be convenient.
The device is easily mounted by means of the spring-loaded clamping mechanism and due to its small size and light weight it is essentially hidden in the free space behind the rear view mirror. Also, the display panel, which is positioned along the lower edge of the rear view mirror, is easily and readily visible to the driver in a location that the driver is already accustomed to viewing during driving. Thus, it is convenient to use and thereby reducing the risk of accidents while reversing an automobile.